The role of the chromosphere in filling the corona with hot plasma (Invited)
Abstract
We use coordinated observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), Hinode and the Swedish Solar Telescope (SST) to show how plasma is heated to coronal temperatures from its source in the chromosphere. Our observations reveal a ubiquitous mass supply for the solar corona in which chromospheric plasma is accelerated upward into the corona with much of the plasma heated to transition region temperatures, and a small, but significant fraction heated to temperatures in excess of 1 million K. Our observations show, for the first time, how chromospheric spicules, fountain-like jets that have long been considered potential candidates for coronal heating, are directly associated with heating of plasma to coronal temperatures. These results provide strong physical constraints on the mechanism(s) responsible for coronal heating and do not seem compatible with current models. The association with chromospheric spicules highlights the importance of the interface region between the photosphere and corona to gain a full understanding of the coronal heating problem.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010AGUFMSH21C..03D
- Keywords:
-
- 7507 SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY / Chromosphere;
- 7509 SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY / Corona;
- 7546 SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY / Transition region